The UPR-C is an exclusively undergraduate 99% Hispanic, four-year Baccalaureate College whose mission emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, research, and community engagement. The overall goal for this renewal BRIC application is to enhance UPR-C's capacity for conducting a competitive, sustainable research program in areas pertaining to the biomedical and socio-environmental aspects of health and health disparities. To achieve this long-term goal, the BRIC team expects to accomplish the following objectives during a five-year period: 1. To advance the research productivity of junior faculty and interdisciplinary collaborations in areas pertaining to the biomedical, and socio-environmental aspects of health and health disparities; 2. To provide students with the training and experience necessary for pursuing advanced degrees in the biomedical and the socio-behavioral sciences; 3. To enhance UPR-C's Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIR) overall research capacity for carrying out a competitive and sustainable interdisciplinary regional research program, with an emphasis on the biomedical and socio-environmental aspects of health and health disparities. 10 specific indicators will be used to measure the Program's success (see evaluation plan). The UPR-C BRIC Program will be implemented according to 5 Core Areas: 1) Administrative 2) Faculty Development and support for 2 sub-projects;3) Student Development;4) a Shared Inter-Departmental Resource (SIDR) Facility and 5) Renovations and Alterations. Partnerships have been established with the UPR, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health (UPR-SPH) and the School of Medicine Research Center on Minority Institutions (RCMI the Medical Science) together with the University of South Florida (USF). PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The expansion of UPR-C research capacity for biomedical and related research will focus on three important areas: 1) promoting research and interdisciplinary collaborations among junior faculty;2) providing training and research -focused curricular experience to students;and 3) enhancing support infrastructure at all levels (technical and consulting services, post-award administrative efficiency and research facilities.